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De Anza holds fourth annual Day of Rememberance

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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF DE ANZA COLLEGE

Inter Club Council election

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Jeff McGrew/ LA VOZ From left to right: Jordan Elridge, George Smith and Monica Pen. The De Anza College Inter Club Council held elections Wednesday. The newly elected ofﬁcials are ICC Chair Smith, ICC Chairperson of Finance Pen and ICC Chairperson of Programs Elridge. They will be sworn in on March 15 at 1:30 p.m., following the weekly ICC meeting in the Hinson Campus Center’s Student Council Chambers.

Plus/minus grading: perspectives from students and professors

see REMEMBRANCE, page 2

Student senate moves to impeach President, VP, fails

Marianne Kim/ LA VOZ

Robert Balicki

Robert Balicki and Mya Kwan

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A motion to impeach De Anza College Associated Student Body Senate President Anna Callahan and Executive Vice President Bernardo DeSeabra failed Wednesday, after enough senators removed their signatures during the meeting. The senate instead voted to cancel the next meeting after the budget is finalized to resolve the issues. John Cognetta, the DASB adviser, said this was the first time he’d seen a bill of particulars brought forth to the senate floor. He has been senate advisor for 16 years. A bill of particulars is a formal statement of grievances that begins an impeachment process. It requires five signatures

Representatives of De Anza’s Academic Senates urged the Student Senate to think of the vast majority of students who are not 4.0 students when considering whether or not to endorse plus/ minus grading during the student senate meeting Wednesday. Since the District researchers released the Plus/Minus Grading Pilot Study on Jan 31, various questions arose. As a follow-up, further explanations and different perspectives were provided by Frank Soler, a full time faculty member in De Anza College’s math department, and Greg Druehl, the chairperson of the political science department and former adviser to the student government. “As a faculty member, I like to have the choice,” said Soler. He

see IMPEACHMENT, page 2

Civil Rights groups speak at campus center Robert Balicki

Sarah Bogen The room was filled with college students, elementary students and various administrators, faculty and staff. There was not an empty seat in the room. The fourth annual De Anza College Day of Remembrance was held Thursday in Conference Rooms A and B at the Hinson Campus Center. The wide range of diversity and ethnicities within the room reflected the theme of the presentation and speeches. The Day of Remembrance is nationally on Feb. 19. It was established in remembrance of the Japanese-Americans who were treated wrongfully in the United States during World War II. The event connected many themes about nationality, ethnic groups and “scapegoating.” Tom Izu, director of the California History Center, began the event by introducing the speakers and playing a DVD introduction created by the Broadcast Media department. The short film featured pictures taken in the internment camps with voice-overs by surviving internees who live in Silicon Valley. “The hardest part was food. Can you imagine feeding a baby for ten days with just water?” said a survivor in the film. De Anza President Brian Murphy spoke briefly before the speakers. “This isn’t ancient history, this is today’s news,” Murphy said. Art Shibayama spoke next through a public interview with Izu. Shibayama was a Japanese

FEBRUARY 21, 2006

thinks that stronger students will beneﬁt from the plus/minus grading scheme. Since there will be a difference in GPA between students who get a the plus, “when they apply to a four-year university, they differentiate themselves,” Soler states. Although the plus/minus grading scheme might hurt weaker students, he believes that it could bring “incentive for weaker students to get better.” Dan Mitchell of the Academic Senate said that, while 4.0 students have the most to lose from a proposal to implement plus/minus grading, “the 4.0 is overrated. People get into Cal, UCLA, Harvard, [and] Stanford with a GPA that is not 4.0.” Additionally, he pointed out that only 2 to 3 percent of De Anza students are 4.0 students, amounting to only several hundred out of a college

of thousands. Mitchell said that instructors have been pushing for plus/minus grading for several years, in order to be in line with UCs and CSUs. Mitchell also defended the research that went into plus/minus grading. Though the teachers’ participation in the pilot run was completely voluntary, they created a broad cross-section of the campus as a whole. “All divisions were included in this. It ended up being a random sample,” he said. Soler claims that the pilot study is “more than valid.” Statistically, only 10 percent of the total population is needed for a reliable outcome. With a total of 25,000 students in De Anza College, a sample of 7,330 “represents the population for sure.” In response to the allegation that transfer rates dropped

see GRADES, page 2

By not learning the lessons of the civil rights movements, modern-day activists are “subjecting themselves to reinvent the wheel,” said Gerald Smith, a former Black Panther. “Only by learning the bitter histories” of racism, poverty and imperialism can civil rights movements today avoid the mistakes of former activists, said Smith. Smith spoke Monday alongside Yuri Kochiyama of the Organization for Afro-American Unity, Ashanti Omawali Alston of the Black Panthers and the Black Liberation Army, and Raul Curly Estremara of the Black Liberation Army. Smith called the war on terrorism “a rhetorical device used by the United States to mask an ideological agenda” that students must confront. “Terrorism is an idea. You can’t grab it. You can’t shoot it. If there’s a terrorist state ,it’s the United States itself.” According to Kochiyama, a Japanese-American who was interned following World War II, change starts small. “You folks can change this kind of atmosphere. I’m sure you already do, by how you treat people, how you just say hi to people, how you share what you know,” said the 84-year-old from her wheelchair. Kochiyama remains committed to social justice. “Every war the United States has entered, they lied to get us into the war,” she said. “On the pretext of helping the Filipino people [in the Spanish-American war] they massacred civilians.” All four speakers maintained the importance of sharing experiences. “When you grow up in New York, everything is just a game,” including life and death, said Estremera, who left New York during the narcotics epidemic. He later joined the Black Liberation Army and fled the United States,

see PANTHERS, page 2

your guide to la voz news 2/3 culture 4-6 community 7 letters to editor 8 opinion 9 sports/health 10/11 softball proﬁle 12 This is Vol. 39, Issue 16. Call us at 864-5626 or email us at lavoz@fhda.edu. We’re hanging out in L-41.

2 news

FEBRUARY 21, 2006 • LAVOZDEANZA.COM

Student senate news and briefs Student Senate Discusses Budget The Student Senate discussed the proposed 2006-2007 budget last Wednesday. Anna Callahan, president of the Senate, predicted that this Wednesday will be the “most attended meeting” because clubs attend it to inﬂuence the budget process. The Senate will review the budget in more detail next Wednesday. Student Senate Approves $30,000 in New Funding The Senate voted unanimously to approve $5,000 in new funding for the Environmental Studies Area, $10,000 for the photography department, and $15,560 for the open media lab. The $5,000 will cover new signs for the Cheeseman Environmental Study Area. The center is “the premier showcase of our California environments,” said Andrea Presler,

who runs the center. The money for the photography department will cover new computers and new equipment, including 20inch screens. The $15,560 for the open media lab will cover the cost of new computers.

Senate Votes to Endorse a Pilot Program to Offer G-Mail to Students The pilot G-mail program will not go into effect immediately, as details still have to be worked out, said Bradley Creamer, De Anza’s webmaster, in an e-mail. The Senate voted 15-6 to approve the program, with some senators raising liability concerns for students who do not use computers or check e-mail. Under the program, students will have the option to use G-mail’s e-mail as a regular account or to have messages forwarded to other accounts, said Creamer.

GRADES: plus/minus differing perspectives FROM PAGE ONE 20 percent the year that Gavilan Community College adopted plus/minus grading, Mitchell said that neither the district nor Gavilan could ﬁnd any evidence of a drop. One would see a drop three years later, rather than immediately, said Lydia Hearn, the president of the Academic Senate. “The evidence right now is pretty clear that it doesn’t [have a signiﬁcant negative impact on students]” said Mitchell. Senators raised concerns that students would have to spend more time focusing on class work under the proposed scheme. “The whole campus synergy would be affected by [plus/minus grading] because students would have less time to be involved,” said Bernardo de Seabra, executive vice president of the Senate. This could negatively affect transfer rates because colleges look at involvement in addition to grades, he said. Other senators expressed concern that De Anza will be-

come a less attractive option for 4.0 students deciding which colleges to attend. Glenn Ho discussed a hypothetical A minus student. “At [another] college, he can get a 4.0 GPA, but at De Anza he will get 3.7. Does he still want to come to De Anza?” Druehl was also concerned with the possible decrease in De Anza’s enrollment once the plus/minus grading is in effect, since most students oppose it. He asked, “If the data shows no signiﬁcant impact on grades, why don’t we just do what the students want?” In response to the fact that the highest possible GPA can only be 4.0 even with an A plus, Druehl questioned if the Board could make an adjustment. As there are schools which allow GPAs above 4.0 to distinctive students who deserve it, “Why can’t we?” Druehl asked. The Student Senate will hold informational workshops Tuesday and Thursday to inform students and gather input. The student senate will vote next Wednesday on whether to endorse or oppose the plus/minus grading system.

REMEMBRANCE: not ancient history FROM PAGE ONE Latin-American who was born and raised in Peru. He and all others of Japanese descent were forced by the Peruvian government to be sent to internment camps in the United States. In 1944, Shibayama and his family were sent to a justice department camp in Crystal City, Texas when he was thirteen years old. The camp not only held Japanese and Japanese Latin Americans, but Germans and Italians who comprised about half of the camp’s population. He recalled that it took 21 days to get to New Orleans from Peru by boat. Even though he was sharing a sad recollection, he found humor

FROM PAGE ONE but was arrested and returned with “30, 40 pounds of chains.” “The empire will always make you confront the same questions, so why be unprepared?” said Alston. Alston met Estremera in prison, and the two became friends.

from senators. In the end, only senators Israr Qumer, Sanjeet Heyer, and Zahra Noor kept their signatures on the bill. Senators Donald Murphy and Navdip Hothi removed their signatures during the Senate meeting. They said they signed the bill as a survey, and did not expect it to be turned in. “The documents were turned in without anyone being told beforehand,” said Murphy in an e-mail. “While I did type the bill of particulars, I did not turn the bill of particulars in.” The remaining senators did not address the senate during the meeting, except Israr Qumer, who only said there were many issues that needed to be ad-

“We are telling the story because we want people to know. I want each of you to take that with you, because I’m not giving up,” said Alston. Estremera expressed hope for the future. “We really would like the youth to pick up the torch and really read and follow in the ways

of Malcolm X.” The event, sponsored by the Black Student Union, MECha, Estacion Libre, Muslim Student Association, African-American Staff Association, ICS/IIS, and the Social Sciences Department, was held in the Hinson Campus Center.

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FROM PAGE ONE

8,000 detained by the U.S., and said that 100,000 of the 7 million Arabs, Muslims, and Southeast Asians feel as if they are victims of discrimination. The FBI conﬁrmed a 600 percent increase in 2001 in hate crimes against these people by other Americans, YangMurray said. The last speaker at the event was Dr. Francisco E. Balderrama, a professor of Chicano studies at Cal State Los Angeles. He talked about the forgotten and rarely-discussed topic of the 1.2 million Mexican Americans deported to Mexico in the 1930s. The theme of the event was how America’s history, particularly the history discussed throughout the day, might affect its future and the importance of preventing

CIVIL RIGHTS: the future of activism

IMPEACHMENT: student senate motion fails dressed immediately. DeSeabra said that the issues cited were “mostly personal issues,” and thus not an appropriate reason for impeachment. “I’m here to serve the people, not the Senate,” he said. Callahan agreed, “The DASB President and Vice President have almost entirely followed and fulfilled their bylaw-described job requirements, and none of the complaints brought against them contained any specific examples of violations of such.” Heyer insisted that the issues were not personal, but instead related to communication and how the senate was run. The senate will continue to meet and conduct business, and will deal with these issues during conflict resolution workshops.

within his story. “The men were only allowed to go on deck for 10 minutes, twice a day, and of course during this time they would smoke. They would smoke 2 or 3 cigarettes, one after another, in 10 minutes, which is good because it caused me to never pick up smoking,” Shibayama said. Alice Yang-Murray, a UCSC professor of Asian History spoke next at the event. “After 9/11, talk of the internment of the Japanese resurfaced. I questioned if Middle Easterners would be treated the same, and if America would re-do internment camps,” Yang-Murray said. She quoted statistics about hundreds of hate crimes, six deaths caused by hate crimes,

1.800.NAT.UNIV • www.nu.edu The University of Values ™

news 3

FEBRUARY 21, 2006 • LAVOZDEANZA.COM

what’s happening on campus E-mail items for Campus Notes to LaVoz@fhda.edu. All events are held at De Anza College, unless otherwise noted. Spring Schedule of Classes Available in Bookstore The printed edition of the Spring Schedule of Classes is available for purchase in the Bookstore. Students may also view it online at www. deanza.edu/schedule/. Continuing student registration begins March 1, and new and former student registration begins March 20. Spring quarter runs from April 10 through June 30. New Suggestion Boxes on Campus DASB Suggestion Boxes are located in or in front of the Library, ATC, L47, ISO, Cafeteria, PE Quad and the Science Center. The De Anza Student Body Senate will collect and review the suggestions. Look for white, locked boxes with a slot holding blue suggestion cards. Librarian Selected as Distinguished Educator Judy Mowrey, De Anza librarian and Open Media Lab coordinator is the most recent recipient of the Distinguished Educator Award. This award is presented eight times a year to De Anza educators who “display substantial, signiﬁcant and sus-

tained excellence, commitment and enthusiasm” in their jobs. Mowrey has worked at De Anza for 19 years and was the “catalytic force that automated library services.” More information is available at http://deanza. edu/instruction/mowrey.html. South African Dance and Drama Troupe to Perform The iThema South African Dance and Drama Troupe will perform on Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. in the Campus Center in Conference Rooms A and B. The troupe’s goal is to spread a message of hope and reconciliation through dance and drama. They will tell stories about the South African struggle for freedom from apartheid, along with stories about new challenges such as HIV/AIDS and race relations. University of the Pacific Information Students interested in transferring to the University of the Pacific can learn about admission, major requirements, financial aid, scholarships, housing and student life on Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Main Quad. In case of rain, the event will move to the Student and Community Services Building. For more information, contact Tracy Chung-Tabangcura

at chungtracy@deanza.edu Student Art Show Reception A reception for the student art show “Change 2005/2006” will be held in the Euphrat Museum of Art on Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition features student paintings, drawings, mixed media works, photography, graphic design, sculpture and ceramics. The show will run through Feb. 23. The exhibit is open Tuesdays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.deanza.edu/euphrat/ or contact Jan Rindfleisch at 408-8648836 or 408-864-8596. “True Colors” Workshop to Help Students Succeed A self-discovery exercise, “True Colors,” will take at-risk students through a process of self-definition and recognition of their natural talents, transferable skills and career personality traits on Wednesday, Feb 22 in Conference Rooms A and B in the Campus Center. Participants should sign up before the event at the Student Success and Retention Services desk on the second floor of the Student and Community Services Building. Yaaba Soore: The Pathway of Ancestors “Remembering New Orleans,” an all-

day event examining and celebrating New Orleans’ art, culture, music, literature and dance, will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Conference Rooms A and B in the Campus Center. For more information, contact Kevin Glapion at 408-864-8955 or Marion Winters at 408-864-8739. Writing Research Papers in MLA Format The Writing and Reading Center will hold a one-hour open workshop for all interested students on writing Research papers using MLA Format. The workshop will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 12:30 in the Writing and Reading Center in SC 3. Drop-in Course Selection Day The Counseling Center invites students to stop by to get help in planning their spring classes on Wednesday, Feb. 22 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 23 between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. 12th Annual Lunar New Year Scholarship Luncheon The APASA Scholarship luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m to 1 p.m on Thursday, Feb. 23 in Conference Rooms A and B in the Campus Center. The event is open only to those who made reservations earlier this month.

Piano Concert A piano concert by Anatoly Zatin and Vlada Vassilieva will be given in the Choral Hall, Room A-11 on Friday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. Vassilieva was the winner of three awards including the “Grand Public Prize” at the 2004 International Russian Piano Music Competition. Admission is $20. For more information contact Anna Poklewski at 408-864-8652. Production on Langston Hughes’s Life and Works The Tabia Theatre Ensemble will perform an original production, “Langston Lives,” on Tuesday, Feb. 28 from 12:30 to 2:20 in Conference Rooms A and B in the Campus Center. The dramatic piece explores Hughes’s works and the African American experience through drama, poetry, song and dance. Exhibit Opening and Panel Discussion on the 1906 Earthquake A panel discussion on the 1906 Earthquake in the Santa Clara Valley, and what could happen in the near future, will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 28 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the California History Center. Speakers are geologist Sandy Hay, historian Jim Williams, and historian and exhibit curator Mary Jo Ignoffo. For more information call 408-864-8712.

4 culture

FEBRUARY 21, 2006 • LAVOZDEANZA.COM

Stay home, get a rental, and save $8 In the age of media saturation, ﬁnding what’s good through what’s just convenient can be more effort than it’s worth. La Voz is here for you: what follows is the best of the best, according to us. Katherine Nguyen LA VOZ

Every time I see the ending frame of “The 400 Blows,” I’m always surprised by my own reaction. It’s a little different each time. Sometimes I feel sad and frustrated, and at other times, spontaneous and elated. Director Francois Truffaut’s ﬁlm about a young boy in a restrictive and conforming society helped ushered in the French New Wave. Antoine Doinel is a character like no other. He is smart, cunning and misunderstood. My absolute favorite scene is his interview with the psychiatrist. She asks, “Your par-

ents always say you’re lying?” and he answers, “Oh I lie now and then, I suppose. Sometimes I’d tell them the truth and they still wouldn’t believe me, so I prefer to lie.” He is the quintessential delinquent. He lies, commit petty crimes, skips school and cheats, but instead of nurturing him, the adults in his life punish and oppress him even more. In the end, actions speak louder than words and the viewer is left with no choice but to be immersed in Truffaut’s semi-autobiographic story and poignant visuals.

THE 400 BLOWS Courtesy of www.sensesofcinema.com

David Gunderson LA VOZ

“In the world I see … you’ll climb the inch-think Kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower.” The push of civilization says to leave our animal state behind, to move into a realm of forethought, rules and consequence. We’re safer because of it, but are we happier? Director David Fincher is a master of melding different meanings into one set of dialogue, leaving viewers with the impres-

sion that he agrees with their answer. And in deep analysis “Fight Club” seems to agree with both, that we need freedom from the rules that bind us, and the responsibility to do right with our new power. Over the course of an hour and a half, an anarchist, a plot to destroy civilization, and a girl will come together to shine a little light on the part of our souls we try to get rid of, but can’t seem to stop enjoying.

Courtesy of www.twoday.net Kharman Aidun LA VOZ

There is nothing like sitting back with a bucket of popcorn and contemplating the meaning of life. I [Heart] Huckabee’s is intelligent, funny, and just plain odd. The protagonist, Albert Markovski, is a hippie with a lost cause. He dedicates all of his time to protesting the Huckabee’s Corporation, but begins to contemplate his existence when he realizes his coalition doesn’t need him. The movie is shocking in the way it introduces existentialistic beliefs and chaos into everyday life. It humorously discusses

what value loves, money and success have on society. When you think that the movie is too heavy, the bizarre sex scene completley pushes that concept over the edge. Albert and Caterine Vauban, the philosopher from the darker side of life, pie each other in the face with mud before having unﬂattering sex in a swamp. This may not be for everyone, but if you are like me and enjoy something a little different, look no further.

Courtesy of www.hollywoodjesus.com

ROCKY IV James Newburg LA VOZ

Courtesy of www.grmmedia.com

When I think of the 1980s, I think of Rocky Balboa. Sylvester Stallone’s boxer, a deeply human character when he went the distance with Apollo Creed, became a badly-drawn superhero in Rocky IV. Rocky IV plunges away from any pretense of realism like Thelma and Louise at the Grand Canyon. Forced to avenge Apollo’s death at the hands of Soviet champion Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), Rocky travels to Moscow to ﬁght Drago on Christmas Day (!) and leaves his son in the care of a robot. We are given the requisite training montage that culminates in Rocky climbing a 38,459 foot tall mountain and screaming “DRAGOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!” with all of the passion of Brando in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Rocky gets knocked down at least 14 times by the steroided-up Drago, turns the Soviet crowd in his favor before knocking out Drago and giving the speech that ended the Cold War: “I guess what I’m trying to say is … if I can change … and you can change … everybody can change!”

The Princess Bride Kayla Hilton LA VOZ

Courtesy of www.ellescifiportal.com

The best movie of all time is “The Princess Bride.” There are only two kinds of people in this world: the people who love “The Princess Bride”, and the people who haven’t seen it. This action-packed love story manages to transcend the staleness of the love story formula by embracing and expanding it to absurd heights. There has never been a better or funnier or more engaging movie about “twue wuv.” No obstacle can divert the course of true love, not an unwanted engagement with a powerful prince, not being held captive by the dread pirate Roberts, not even death. True love is so inherent in Westley and Buttercup’s relationship that the only words needed to express it is “as you wish.” How can someone not love a movie ﬁlled with rhyming giants, a pompous prince, iocane powder, R.O.U.S.’s, and an albino dungeon keeper without a creepy voice?

culture 5

FEBRUARY 21, 2006 • LAVOZDEANZA.COM Melissa Lewis

AMELIE

LA VOZ

Courtesy of www.imdb.com Ryan Bell LA VOZ

Snatch is hard to classify. It would be a comedy if it weren’t so violent, a drama if it weren’t so irreverent, or a gangster ﬂick if it weren’t so quirky. It has a lot in common with director Guy Ritchie’s ﬁrst effort, “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.” Action is precise and lightningpaced; dialogue is tight, outrageously witty and full of original expressions. There are quotes in this movie that will stick with you. Maya Chakraborty LA VOZ

Ah, the perfect compliment to a six-hour flopfest and feel-good trans-fat snack: the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. The film allows for blissful indulgence in good old-fashioned drama: conspiracy, flirtation, betrayal, gorgeous houses, death-glare dances, and totally indecent proposals from cousins who resemble pigs and scrumptious proposals from absolutely indecent, handsome men. Oh, and

The cast of characters is filled with vivid caricatures of ruthless mobsters, incompetent hoods, and shady, silver-tongued business types. Brad Pitt plays an incomprehensible gypsy boxer to brilliant comic effect. The disjointed subplots play out separately but are still connected, orbiting around underground boxing matches, carnivorous pigs and a stolen diamond “the size of a fist.” These parallel storylines collide in explosively hilaroius fashion, like an uber-violent episode of “Seinfeld.” thin nineteenth-century linen. Colin Firth could melt one’s heart in his breeches and wet shirt (though he should reconsider the length of his sideburns). Basically, headstrong Elizabeth, poor but saucy, temps rich bad boy Darcy, and they perform a long, intricate dance. Or, boy meets girl, girl hates boy, boy loves girl who still hates him and lashes out wonderfully at every opportunity, girl sees boy’s gorgeous house and wonders if she made the wrong call, girl finds herself in a situation, boy

Courtesy of www.screensavershot.com Beth Grobman LA VOZ

Robert Altman, the genius, takes a group of quirky, unrelated characters and smooshes them together in a comedic, neurotic, political-musical cataclysm. Nashville. Oh Yeah. This is a captivating puzzle of rockfest and rowdiness, personalities and politics, plots and patriotism, satire and scandal, humanity and insanity, arrogance and deca-

“Amelie” is the loveliest ﬁlm I’ve ever seen. From the buoyant score and Foley work to the elaborate cinematography, each aspect of “Amelie” appropriately exaggerates the Parisian waitress’ fantastic life. Her altruistic endeavors in the name of love and her own breed of justice are charming. But what makes her a truly captivating character is her inability to pursue love for herself. She is a beautiful heap of

dence, and 1970’s polyester leisure suits. I think it plays so well because the actors wrote much of their own dialog and songs, one Oscar-winning and more-thanone deliciously awful. This is a music movie with a message, an incredible combination of subplots seamlessly getting married. This is Americana at its prime. This is our culture. This is the best darn sideburn sighting since Elvis. Long live Robert Altman.

idiosyncrasies. Although adventurous and imaginative, she is too fragile to pursue the love she orchestrates for the people around her. This ﬁlm is, like Amelie’s reveries, impossibly radiant. In spite of its surreal atmosphere, the ﬁlm makes us a part of Amelie’s world rather than merely showing it to us. The characters’ eccentricities and emotions are familiar and palpable. “Amelie” is a dream of life; it accomplishes what we cannot in our everyday lives and it’s always over too soon.

Courtesy of www.impawards.com

soothes delicate feminine nerves, bad boy is discovered to be perfectly yummy, boy rebels against stuffed-vulture relatives, boy gets girl. All this, in seductive Victorian language and surroundings. Cheesecake and anything Godiva should be required accompaniments. Note: The new version with Keira Knightley and Mr. TooUgly-to-Name is not a suitable substitute. It would only merit half a cucumber sandwich and require much fast-forwarding.

pride & prejudice Courtesy of www.bbcshop.com

La Voz.

Are you ready?

6 culture

FEBRUARY 21, 2006 • LAVOZDEANZA.COM

STUDENTS BAND TOGETHER

SOUNDZ THAT PREVENT CANCER OFFERS ENTERTAINMENT, HOPE Katherine Nguyen LA VOZ

As February draws to an end, the De Anza College Circle K club is gearing up for Soundz That Prevent Cancer, a fundraising event for pediatric cancer. STP Cancer will take place Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. in Ohlone College’s Jackson Theater in conjunction with Ohlone’s Circle K club. Featured artists will include Bay Area talents such as Jennii Lee, Mighty Joe, Booftroop, Jack Tu, Spinatik’s DJ and possible hip-hop group ELEMNOP. The event will allow college students a chance to participate in community service by paying a $10 admission to see the show. All donations and proﬁts go to the Candlelighters foundation. Additional donations will also be welcomed. “Our aim is to raise money

for the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation,” said Matt Schroeder, event organizer and Circle K treasurer. The Candlelighters Foundation, with more than 100,000 members, is “committed to providing support, education and advocacy for children and adolescents with cancer, survivors of childhood/adolescent cancer, their families and the professionals who care for them.” The foundation has more than 100,000 members across the country. The California-Nevada-Hawaii Division of Circle K International fundraises for two main charities, the Candlelighters Foundation and Pediatric Trauma Prevention. “We wanted to do something a little different when it came to raising money for the Candlelighters Foundation. I proposed the idea to the rest of De Anza’s

Circle K board and they loved it,” Schroeder said. Circle K is a collegiate community service and leadership development organization. Each Circle K is self-governed, but sponsored by a Kiwanis club, the parent organization. The club meets every Tuesday in the Hinson Campus Center, Student Council Chambers at 1:30 p.m. “We work closely with our school and local community through service projects,” said Schroeder. De Anza’s Circle K sister schools include University of California Berkeley, San Francisco State University, UC Irvine, UC Davis, San Diego State University, Ohlone College and San Jose State University. These schools will interact and host volunteer opportunities together as a chance for helping the community, networking and friendships.

“Circle K is a really great way to meet friends and to also get the chance to do something that will make you feel good about yourself. As a club we are all very close and offer help to one another not only during events but also outside of events.” Circle K’s next project will be the Special Olympics. The event will be held on the De Anza campus. “Our Kiwanis Club puts on this annual event where children with special needs local to the San Jose area will get a chance to participate in their own Special Olympics,” said Schroeder. Circle K also participate social events with other clubs on campus such as the Vietnamese Student Association and Rotaract, another community service club. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/STP_Cancer and www.candlelighters.org.

Soundz That Prevent Cancer Performers • Three of a Kind with Chocolate: singing group. • Jack Tu: professional Chinese martial arts competitor. • Cindy: spoken word and stage actor. • B-boy Crew: breakdancers from Cupertino. • Might Joe-:hip-hop artist. • X Gen: martial arts demonstration group. • Philtered Soul: urban jazz band. • Jennii Le: spoken word. • Booftroop: dance group.

Kirsch Center enhances campus environment John Ellis LA VOZ

Melissa Lewis/ LA VOZ The Kirsch Center for Environmental studies, seen from the south. Slideshows of the construction process and more detailed information about it’s operation can be found on the Kirsch Center’s ofﬁcial website, http://www.deanza.edu/ kirschcenter/. There are 15 environmental studies courses taught in the center and one internship. According to the Kirsch Center Web site, “The philosophy of this facility is ‘a building that teaches about energy and resources.’”

movie review Ryan Bell LA VOZ

“Bubble” is a precisely acted slice of life, the most unadulterated portrayal of human nature you can get without watching “The Real World.” That said, real life can be pretty boring. “Bubble” examines the stale lives of some rather unremarkable people in an underwhelming Midwestern town. We are introduced to Jake, a scruffy, lanky high-school dropout who lives in a trailer with his mother, and his co-worker Martha, a blank blob of a woman from your aunt’s knitting circle. Jake and Martha live in a poor Ohio town seemingly in the middle of no-

Unprecedented support and more than a decade of planning allowed De Anza College to build a unique and environmentally conscious building last fall, making De Anza the first college campus in California to have a functional “green” building capable of hosting classes and educating by example. The Kirsch Center for Environmental Studies has many impressive features. The technology, borrowed and inspired by other green buildings, ranges from on-site electricitygenerating solar panels, waterless urinals that save 48,000 gallons annually and an open construction which allows students to view and understand the components of the building. “It is definitely a first,” said Pat Cornely, executive director of the Kirsch Center. “We want to set a standard for future projects here at De Anza and elsewhere.” The 22,000 square foot, twostory building is the classroom of the future. Dozens of windows and huge glass doors give the impression of entering a barn or hanger instead

where, and work at the local doll factory endlessly churning out identical plastic babies. Martha gives Jake rides to his other job after work. They have fast food for lunch every day. Their friendship is shallow, and they speak in small talk. You feel awkward for them. In fact, the first 40 minutes of the film are largely small talk interspersed with selections from the understated acoustic soundtrack. Then a murder happens. But it is so de-sensationalized that you are barely roused enough from your slumber to groggily witness the empty conclusion. There are times when you will relate to the characters in Bubble; they exude the familiar listlessness of the down and out. Director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Ocean’s Twelve) filmed it using an utterly deadpan minimalist style and cast ordinary people in the roles.

of an enclosed structure. “You don’t feel separated from the outside. Most classes should be like this,“ said Mayko Totsuka, environmental studies student. The bottom floor houses classrooms, an impressive video lecture area, and a lecture hall capable of hosting more than 100 students. The second floor hosts faculty offices as well as a large study area and a library that allows students to check out materials for their environmental studies courses. The library is lit entirely with natural sunlight through enormous bay windows. Cornely has been involved in every step of the building process. While attending De Anza in 1992, she took an environmental studies course from Julie Phillips, a member of the original building committee, and insisted on becoming involved. Cornely admits it has been a long process and attributes success to the collective efforts of more than a hundred people who believed in the building’s construction. “It’s unique not only on what we built, but how it was built … everyone who was a part of it had a say in what we did,” said Cornely. “We want to be an example

When an inspector arrives at the scene of the murder, he is a real-life police inspector, and the debriefings he has with the witnesses are detailed and genuine. “Bubble” is notable for its distribution: Soderbergh decided to release it on cable television and DVD simultaneously while it is in theaters. There’s no discernable theme. If this film makes any statement about banal blue-collar America, it’s too obscured by monotony to stand out. “Bubble” is true to its name: a colorless, hollow venture that will abruptly disappear from your view without a trace. A film student might appreciate the innovation in the direction and production of “Bubble,” but anyone else is going to find it deathly dull. Either way, at a scant 73 minutes, it’s light viewing.

and show people it can be done this way.” The new Environmental Center sets a standard of efficiency and collaborative planning. As of this month, the building meets the requirements to be rated as a Silver Certified Sustainable Building, and according to Cornely, will attain Gold Certification before it’s finished. The Kirsch Center offers benefits to students through its curriculum as well as the inspiration it brings. The center embodies new ideas, innovation and civic responsibility, but only a handful of students have yet to take a visit, most of whom are attending the variety of classes available at the center. The building hosts classes in all areas, from Mathematics to Environmental Sciences. “Students should recognize the thought and planning. It is for them, for everyone, and it could be applied anywhere in everyday life,” said Nichole Chaney, a former De Anza student, who came back because she wanted to be a part of what was happening. For more info about the Kirsch Center, visit http://www.deanza. edu/kirschcenter/.

Courtesy of www.stevensoderbergh.com Movie: Bubble Plot: The sleepy part of America you don’t really care about anyway Yawn rating: Two hours of watching paint dry

community 7

FEBRUARY 21, 2006 • LAVOZDEANZA.COM

Make the world a better place by starting with the world around you

DISABLED

HUNGER

EDUCATION

You don’t need a lot of money, a lot of time or a lot of talent to make the world a better place. You don’t have to write a profound novel or become the president. You just need to volunteer. All it takes is a little bit of time and compassion, and you can commit yourself even once a month to improving the quality of life for others. That is why this section exists; as a busy person already you may not have the time to scan the Internet for

opportunities tailored to your speciﬁc talents, interests or schedule. However, this page can provide you with diverse opportunities every week from multiple sources. Whether your interest is the arts or the environment, you will be able to ﬁnd eager and cooperative organizations that would love to have your help. Each opportunity also provides you with a unique experience. It isn’t often that we are allowed as students, employees, taxpayers, consumers, parents or siblings to be

placed in entirely new situations. But when we are, we learn about the community we wish to improve, the people we wish to help, and who we wish to be. In a world of six billion people, we often ﬁnd ourselves feeling inconsequential. We the students, the employees, the consumers, are trapped in a cycle of production for survival or proﬁt. We don’t have to be. We just need to volunteer.

ATLAS Adult Literacy

JUST READ

Dates: Until April 12 Time: 12:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Commitment: 5 hours/week Location: Sunnyvale-Cupertino Adult Education 591 W. Fremont Ave., Sunnyvale Description: Help students learn English reading/writing and basic math Requirements: Knowledge of English and basic algebra, patience Contact: Lareen Jacobs at (408) 522-2755

Dates: Varies Time: Varies Commitment: 1 hour/week Location: 1299 Bryant Road, Mountain View Description: Help Alta Vista High School students with reading competency and communication Requirements: Volunteers must be at least college age and have a love of reading Contact: Donna Largent at (650) 940-7402

Second Harvest Food Bank

Cupertino Community Services

Date: March 4 Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Commitment: 3 hours Location: 2nd Harvest of Santa Clara County 750 Curtner Ave., San Jose Description: Help the Food Bank sort, inspect and repackage food Web site: www.2ndharvest.net Contact: Julie at julie@onebrick.org

Days: Monday, Wednesday or Thursday Time: 8 - 9:30 a.m. Commitment: 2 hours/week Location: 10104 Vista Drive, Cupertino Description: Help pick up donated food in the morning and drop it off at the food pantry Requirements: Must be 21 or older and have a valid CA driver’s license and proof of insurance Web site: www.cupertinocommunityservices.org Contact: Rosa Martinez at (408) 255-8033

Santa Clara Valley Blind Center

Peninsula Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Dates: One Wednesday per month Location: SCV Blind Center 101 N. Bascom Ave., San Jose Description: Help organize, prepare, serve and clean up for a hot lunch served at the center Requirements: Minimal cooking experience; training will be provided Web site: www.visionbeyondsight.org Contact: Laura Schrandt at (408) 295-4016, ext. 204

Date: March 4 Time: 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Commitment: 7 hours Location: Stanford University, Palo Alto Description: Assist student competitors at the NorthBastyr University ad for ern California Braille Challenge as proctor assistants De Anza College (Cupertino) and scorekeepers. La Voz Web site: www.pcbvi.org Contact: RoJeanne Sawey at (650) 858-0202

Feb 2006-Ad #2

4” x 4” pdf

Sources: www.volunteermatch.org, www.onebrick.org, www.idealist.org

Pictures: Wikimedia Commons

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lots to write home about.

Before you transfer, look far above the ordinary. Do more than earn a widely respected bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center. Live, study and have fun in the Mile High City and its amazing backyard—the Rocky Mountains. Plus, as a transfer student from De Anza College, you could receive a scholarship ranging from $4,000 to $32,000 in two-year total value. Deadlines are fast approaching, so apply now for admission and the scholarship.

abovetheordinary.cudenver.edu/info University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center Downtown Denver Campus

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8 opinion La Voz

Vol. 39 Issue 16 The Student Newspaper of De Anza College Phone: 408-864-5626 Fax: 408-864-5533 lavoz@fhda.edu www.lavozdeanza.com Room L-41 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014

Editorial Staff Melissa Lewis Editor in Chief lavoz@fhda.edu Katherine Nguyen Managing Editor managing@lavozdeanza.com David Gunderson Culture Editor culture@lavozdeanza.com Scott Lipsig Opinion Editor opinions@lavozdeanza.com Kayla Hilton Sports Editor sports@lavozdeanza.com Ryan Bell Layout Coordinator layout@lavozdeanza.com

FEBRUARY 21, 2006 • LAVOZDEANZA.COM

editorial

Student senate stands up for students rights The De Anza College Student Body Senate is set to vote on whether or not to endorse the implementation of plus/minus grading. The Board of Trustees will discuss whether to implement this controversial system in place of the existing A-F system. For years, this issue has divided the college district’s Academic and Student senates, faculty and students. Opponents say it will negatively affect the morale, participation and even attendance of students at De Anza. Proponents say it will make the transition to four-year institutions easier and would be an incentive for students to earn higher grades. In response to the conﬂict, the DASB Senate surveyed students’ reactions to

Dan Sealana Online Editor web@lavozdeanza.com

Contributing Staff: Ryan Bell, Paul Beitsayad, Sarah Bogen, Robert Balicki, Maya Chakraborty, David Cenzer, Kristina Cottle, Robert Erdei, Nate Green, Mya Kwan, Ariel Kuhns, Chris Marks, James Schulte, Ruth Tepper and Aaron Wilcher.

Business Staff Beth Grobman Adviser grobman@fhda.edu Cecilia Deck Freelance/Advertising Adviser deckcecilia@fhda.edu Walter Alvarado Lab Tech alvaradowalter@fhda.edu Reza Kazempour Business Manager ads@lavozdeanza.com

About Us

La Voz is a First Amendment newspaper written and published by De Anza college students. Staff editorials reflect the opinions of the majority of the editorial board and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author or the opinions of the La Voz staff. Opinions expressed by staff and contributors are the opinions of the individuals and not necessarily the opinion of La Voz. La Voz is partially funded by the De Anza Associated Student Body and is printed on recycled paper. All rights reserved; no part of La Voz may be reproduced without permission.

Letters, Submissions and Press Releases

Letters to the editor, submissions and press releases are welcome and must be signed and include contact information for verification and follow-up. Letters should be 300 words or less; letters more than 300 words may be edited for length. Letter content must not be libelous or intended to air personal grievances. La Voz does not guarantee that submissions and letters to the editor will be printed, nor does it guarantee coverage of events for which it receives press releases. La Voz reserves the right to edit letters and submissions for clarity in accordance with Associated Press writing style.

Photo Reprints

Images published in La Voz or online at http://www.lavozdeanza.com are available for purchase. Ten limited use digital images can be obtained for $20 or 8x10 prints for $25. Contact Reza Kazempour at 408-864-5626 or by e-mail at ads@lavozdeanza.com to place an order.

Advertising

Advertisers reach 3,000 De Anza community members weekly by advertising in La Voz. Contact Business Manager Reza Kazempour at 408-8645626 or send an e-mail to ads@lavozdeanza. com for rates.

Additional Copies

The first copy of each issue of La Voz is free. Additional copies can be purchased through Business Manager Reza Kazempour.

for members. Senators like George Smith, the smiling embodiment of a can-do attitude, who talked to Foothill’s student senate every week and encouraged them to discuss plus/minus grading. Senators like Tony Suwen, constantly mindful of his responsibility to the student body, who is unafraid to speak out about current issues like plus/minus grading – especially when he thinks students will be adversely affected. Senators like Yessenia Ramirez, equally outspoken, who serves on more senate committees than ﬁt within the business report form, which is made for two or fewer committee reports. Let’s support the student representatives who aren’t afraid to support us.

If you’ve lost everything, DA can help

Kharman Aidun Photo Editor photo@lavozdeanza.com

James Newburg Editor Emeritus

plus/minus grading, coordinated upcoming workshops to educate students on plus/minus grading and discussed the grading system with members of the Academic Senate and the District Board of Trustees, as well as other faculty members and students. In particular, Vice President of Student Rights Glenn Ho has researched and addressed the issue extensively, showing concern not only for the students he represents but for other campus and district groups that may be affected as well. Ho has brought up plus/minus grading in every DASB senate meeting for a month, discussed the matter with other senate members and conducted a survey to ﬁnd out what students think about it. Every senate should have such pillars

kharmanAIDUN Your boss fired you, your car was rearended and you lost your $80 textbook. Basically, you’re screwed. You just replaced your car’s alternator, you didn’t apply for financial aid and now you can’t afford tuition. If this nightmare sounds like last Thursday to you, you aren’t alone. But if you need a job, legal advice or enough emergency money to get you to your next pay check, De Anza College can help. “If someone has been harassed, wrongfully fired or has been in a car accident, this is what I am here for,” said Ronald Goularte, an attorney and legal advisor at De Anza. Goularte’s office is on the second floor

of the Hinson campus center in the Student Activities office. He has been at De Anza approximately 20 years teaching business law and counseling students. “I can’t tell a student whether to go to court or not,” said Goularte. “But I can listen to them and refer them to someone who can help.” The legal department isn’t the only place you can turn to if you’ve lost your job. The Career Center is located on the top floor of the Student and Community Services Building. Every week the staff prints out a list of available jobs and can provide you with more information about any one. The Career Center also lists available internships and volunteer positions. And if you don’t have a resume, don’t worry. The center offers workshops every quarter on how to put one together. There are computers available to students to type up resumes and the staff is ready to offer assistance. The Career Center also has videos on how to be successful in an interview. The Financial Aid Office can help students even if they haven’t filled out the Free Application for Federal Student

Aid form. “We have a contingency fund if your book got stolen and you need help,” said Director of Financial Aid, Cindy Castillo. The contingency fund is emergency money that a professor can ask Financial Aid to award to students who have lost their textbooks or who need $100 to ensure they aren’t dropped from classes. The Financial Aid ofﬁce also has emergency book loans at the beginning of every quarter for those who can’t afford books right away. The loan is for $100 and must be paid back within 30 days. There is also the Board of Governors’ fee waiver that exempts students from paying fees. This is need based, and the student must be a resident, and a full-time student. Financial Aid also offers other loans, grants, and scholarships. It might be an advantage to a student to ﬁll out the FAFSA form. De Anza also has programs such as Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education and Extended Opportunities Programs and Services, which allow early registration or provide free books and bus passes to academically disadvantaged or low income students.

letters to the editor Donation appreciation Thanks so much for the enlightening story on organ donation! So very many people do not understand the process – Seeing the explanation is very helpful to the cause. Many states are moving towards “first person consent”... A situation where a person’s decision is recorded and binding. Something many do not realize is the fact that, in many states, your decision can be over-ridden by one person in your immediate your family, regardless of how adamant you felt about it – Even if it were tatooed on your person! If you were aware of someone in your family who would object – The only other option was to assign someone with your healthcare power of attorney who would fulfill your wishes ... First person consent is a more powerful form of consent that gives a little more assurance that a person’s wish to become an organ donor, and save the lives of others will be followed. It is still vitally important to share your desires with your family, so in the even that a tragic situation arises, they can be proactive in having your desires followed. I’m very familiar with this process – In March 2000, at dinner with her family in Iowa, a beautiful girl named Kari told her family how strongly she felt about organ donation. At the time, I was dying of respiratory failure due to my cystic fibrosis. In April 2000, at the most tragic moment in their lives – Kari passed away. Corrections

Kari brought her beautiful smile into my life when she and her family gave me both of her lungs. Kari was 17 years old when she passed away. I don’t know all of the reasons Kari felt the way she did about organ donation – Perhaps one of them was after reading a story like Mary-Jo wrote. I was fortunate in that I established contact with Kari’s family a few years after my transplant – And I’ve corresponded with, and met several of her friends ... It’s been almost six years since she gave me life – I think about her every single day. Organ donors are heroes, as are their families ... People like Mary-Jo help people understand and make the decision to be an organ donor. I hope that telling people about Kari helps them understand how we recipients feel about the people who save our lives. My princess helped me build a tribute to my donor, to help me tell people about her – It’s at: www.ClimbingForKari.org Most precious to me – Kari’s family allowed me to post the ﬁrst letters we exchanged – And one of her close friends allowed me to post two poems she’d written. Organ donors often give us so much more than life. Steve Ferkau Manager, Trading Floor Operations The Chicago Stock Exchange Chicago, IL

• Budget article: the Euphrat requested and the DASB reccommended the Euphrat recieve $16,245 and $3,000, respectively.

Internment story Congratulations to De Anza College. A Day of Remembrance is a superb way to remind Americans about the sad episode of internment in our country’s history. It is too bad that the event is marred by the exclusion of German and Italian internment during WWII. Since creating public awareness is one of the major purposes of such an event, it is inexcusable that the sponsors were not more inclusive of all victims of internment. How many Americans realize that 11,000 Germans were interned in a web of Department of Justice camps across the United States during WWII? Shirley Weiss Small Business Owner Oregon What, no recognition of the 5,000 German Latin Americans who were brought here forcibly by the same government and tactics that brought 2,000 Japanese Peruvians? And, furthermore, there has been no recognition for the almost 11,000 German Americans who also were interned, many were held in the same camps as Japanese Americans. Has not the time come to tell the whole truth about the United States’ World War II internment story? Arthur D. Jacobs Major, USAF Retired Arizona

• Breakups article: the quotation marks in Patrick Kugela’s excerpt were editing errors. The entire excerpt was a direct quote. Front page army photo courtesy of www.wikimedia.org.

opinion 9

James vs. James

FEBRUARY 21, 2006 • LAVOZDEANZA.COM

IS SOLDIERING IN SUCH A SAD STATE?

jamesNEWBURG

Since when did the United States become a nation of wimps? We have a President who wants us to poop our pants at the thought of terrorists possibly, one day, by unknown means, attacking us again. He tells us that our country needs to become a quasi-Stalinist police state because it’s necessary to keep us safe from the bad, bad monsters that lurk under our beds. We also can’t handle a relatively small number of soldiers dying in defense of our oil supply freedom. Only 2,270 soldiers have died in Iraq – that’s 1/25 of the death toll in Vietnam. Yet the majority of Americans think that the war was a mistake and want the troops brought home. We’re even debating whether or not we should torture aggressively interrogate random guys who had the triple misfortune of being brown, bearded and Muslim known terrorists. When did the majority of people in this country become such lily-livered cowards? What, they don’t have the stomach to drop a nuclear bomb on the Middle East in a fit of racial hatred finish the job? Now, news comes this week from The Wall Street Journal that the hardened soldiers we send over to Baghdad to commit war crimes by torturing innocent civilians and using chemical weapons in violation of the Geneva Conventions are coddled in boot camp like a brat pack of whining elitist intel-

lectuals. The drill sergeants can no longer yell. Fat recruits can fill up on dessert. There’s less running required in physical training. Mild asthmatics can carry inhalers. Problem soldiers can get private mentoring. All that’s missing is a daily shiatsu massage, French wine and a mud facial. Do you think those America-hating insurgents even eat dessert? I think not. They’re too busy cleaning their Kalashnikovs and making roadside bombs. They probably read this article, laughed hysterically and licked their lips at the thought of fresh meat being sent to their killing field. From the article: “Attention!” Sgt. Gilmore ordered. The recruits rose slowly and unevenly. “Could we all just stand up together?” Sgt. Gilmore said, sounding more let down than angry. “It would look so much nicer.” You know what would look so much nicer? Not arriving home packed in a body bag with a corpse that looks like an unsolved jigsaw puzzle. While this new breed of American soldier is getting in touch with their inner child, insurgent shrapnel is getting in touch with their internal organs. This is totally unacceptable. I guess we can thank the corporate media and the radical conservatives who have hijacked the modern political culture liberals for softening up our society so it’s okay to be sheltered and take shortcuts whenever we’re in trouble. People like George Bush and Ken Lay Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy showed us it was okay to cheat and cut corners. And now, Halliburton will get another multi-billion dollar, no-bid government contract to fatten the stock portfolios of Bush campaign contributors innocent Americans are going to die because of our moral decline.

jamesSCHULTE

Our whole nation has gone insane. We’re so politically correct that we need a sensitive and delicate approach to our euphemisms. Next, we’ll be writing letters to our congress on doilies in scented envelopes. The military has now decided to go down the same path. In the end, we will all be watching “Love Story” with a box of tissues on the couch, and by the time the credits roll, we’ll realize we’re no longer a country. The Army last spring took a team of 20 officers from their training command to figure out how to help more soldiers survive the first six months of service. They did this because they were having a hard time bringing in new recruits. While boot-camp attrition was climbing, recruiting for active-duty troops missed its goal by 7,000, soldiers and recruiting for National Guard soldiers missed by 13,000. So the Army, thinking it was hitting the bottom of the barrel, decided to make a change. The aim of the Army’s new training theory is to make a low-stress Army. So now recruits are not met with a swarm of yelling drill sergeants as they get off the bus at boot camp, but instead, the drill sergeant gives them a welcome speech. “We sincerely appreciate the fact that you swore an oath and got on a bus and did it in a time of war.”

Well, that’s nice. Maybe we could let their mothers come and sleep over when the recruits get lonely and scared. This is truly the end of our fighting forces. The Army said that they’re trying to get rid of the anxiety and worry that’s involved with training. These new privates get more sleep and personal time. Hey, maybe when or if these so-called soldiers go over to Iraq they can get the same treatment from kinder and gentler suicide bombers. The Army wants to reduce stress on the soldiers. Well, last time I checked, war is stressful. Let’s face the facts – if you can’t handle a drill sergeant yelling at you, then you won’t know what to do when someone fires live rounds at you. I guess running away will become the new Army tactical move, although they had to make some adjustments because of the school systems’ failure in the area of physical fitness. Because most of these recruits haven’t had P.E. or sports, they were injured because of running. So the recruits run less but perform more calisthenics and stretching. That’s fine – they’re watching out for the health and well-being of their soldiers. But as far as everything else goes, the army is becoming more concerned about putting bodies in the field than properly training soldiers. There are some things out of the new training that are not too bad. The sergeants have become more like instructors instead of just berating the private. They’re acting like mentors and are teaching the recruit to get them through boot camp. We don’t need a pampered Army; we need a tough and prepared Army.

Straight talk with Scott: plus/minus grading scottLIPSIG Today, I sat down and wrote a letter to the Academic Senate. Then I saved them a step: I crumpled it up and threw it in the trash. I’m a student, so what I say doesn’t matter. At least not to them. They are pushing for a controversial grading system based on conjecture, fundamentally ﬂawed studies and willful ignorance of the system’s drawbacks. The kind of ignorance that comes with failing to entertain the notion that it could possibly have any drawbacks. Oh, and let’s not forget that their mad scramble to force plus/ minus grading on the District ignores the wants and needs of the students. In a business, we’d call this practice by a different name: the customer is always wrong. About 65 percent of De Anza students who participated in a survey conducted by the De Anza Associated Student Body Senate said they opposed the plus/minus grading proposal, according to Glenn Ho, DASB senate vice president of student rights. Ho said the survey wasn’t statistically perfect, but neither is the plus/minus study conducted by the district last year, something

the Academic Senate is using as another talking point in favor of the proposal. If only it were a real study. Clocking in at five pages, including the cover letter, we can hardly take it seriously. Five pages of confusing text doth not a yearlong study analysis make. The District’s Institutional and Research Planning office refused to release any raw data, but the study’s credibility would still be in the toilet if the district attempted to justify its data. For all any of us little people know, the alleged data could have been borrowed from a Rice Krispies box. Eighteen percent of course sections were cited as voluntary participants. The study lacked a control group or target population, but the report claims the new system would have no significant impact on students. And the report dropped entire groups of students from consideration, considering only those who enrolled in 45 or more units over the course of a year. Is the district testing office saying only some of us exist? I demand a recount. “The study found that for 4.00 students with 45 or more attempted units of credit (one full year) about 44 percent earn less than 4.00 under plus/minus grading,” writes Executive Director Bob Barr, before dismissing this as inconsequential. But any 4.0 student can tell you how much it matters. When University of California

Berkeley Coordinator of Outreach Programs and Services Ken Gonsalves was asked Thursday what would deny a 4.0 student admission to Berkeley, he had a twoword response: “Nothing else.” He didn’t say a 4.0 wouldn’t matter. And yet the district researchers and the Academic Senate imply that 4.0 students don’t. The Academic Senate hypocritically dismisses opposing arguments while claiming the study proves what they’ve been saying all along: plus/minus will have a negligible impact. If I could ask Academic Senate President Lydia Hearn just one thing, it would be “Why are you pushing so hard for a system you say won’t really change anything?” Either the Academic Senate is wasting time that could be better spent helping students or there’s something they are not telling us. It’s the academic equivalent of spending $20 million on a political campaign to support renaming California to The Land of Apple and Hewlett-Packard, while claiming it doesn’t matter to anyone what the name is. And they are willing to shoot down valid points, like the 20.5 percent drop in transfers Gavilan College suffered after switching to the same system. When addressing the DASB Senate on Wednesday, former Academic Senate president Dan Mitchell said neither the Foothill-De Anza Community College District or a Gavilan College researcher could ﬁnd any evidence

Tomorrow’s Dinosaur

Scott Lipsig/ LA VOZ of a drop in Gavilan’s transfer rate. He said the researcher at Gavilan was mystiﬁed and didn’t know anything about a drop. Moments later, Hearn piped up, saying even if there had been a drop, it should have happened about three years after the change. In 2002, Gavilan College’s research ofﬁce published a report citing the drop, available online at www.gavilan.edu/research/reports/indicators.pdf. According to the report,

Gavilan’s UC and CSU transfers went from 204 in the 98-99 academic year to 162 in 99-00, sustaining a 20.5 percent drop the same year it implemented the new system. Of course, if the Board of Trustees holds to the promises trustees made prior to approving the district study, it will dismiss plus/minus grading as an option. If it hurts even one student, we will not vote for it, the board members said. Take it from me. It hurts.

10 sports & health

FEBRUARY 21, 2006 • LAVOZDEANZA.COM

LA VOZ SPECIAL REPORT

Marijuana use: the hard facts

For your health and peace of mind, La Voz encourages readers to go out and do their own research into this subject. All of the Web sites sourced in this article contain useful information: www.erowid.org www.dpna.org www.darebox.com www.thegooddrugsguide.com www.nida.nih.gov www.wikipedia.com www.norml.org

Ryan Bell, Sarah Bogen & Paul Beitsayad LA VOZ

Putting aside legal and moral issues, La Voz is focusing on this drug from a health perspective: how it affects your body and your mind. La Voz tackled many of the common preconceptions about marijuana to ﬁnd out if they were true or not, and to what extent. The following is a list of assertions drawn after careful and thorough examination of existing studies and data. Because everyones’ bodies and health are different, La Voz does not guarantee that these assertions will hold true for every individual.

Marijuana is addictive FALSE. To paraphrase the words of a great leader, “that all depends on what your deﬁnition of addiction is.” It has been established that marijuana addiction is mental instead of physical – that is, your body does not “crave” it as it would the nicotine in a cigarette, for example. This is because the active ingredient, THC, is fat soluble and does not become a part of a user’s body chemistry. Marijuana can be compared to the addictiveness of caffeine, says Erica Fortgang in “Is Pot Bad For

You? Six Questions Answered” in “Rolling Stone.” That is not to say that marijuana don’t experience withdrawal. Fortgang says that psychiatrists at UCSD observed 16 percent of users experience withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, sleeplessness, and anxiety, which generally disappear in two to four days. Withdrawal symptoms are more likely to occur, and be more pronounced, in heavy or long-term users of the drug.

Marianne Kim/ LA VOZ

Marijuana causes memory loss

Marijuana causes lung cancer

TRUE. Smoking marijuana causes short-term memory loss in users. Studies consistently show that marijuana use diminishes one’s capacity to learn and retain information, and may make it difﬁcult to focus and organize data. Repeated use will lower the user’s cognitive ability on a daily basis. However, these effects do not appear to be permanent, and will dimin-

LARGELY FALSE. Because it is smoked, marijuana will naturally increase one’s risk for cancer, but only slightly. Although marijuana smoke is usually unﬁltered and contains higher levels of tar than tobacco smoke, marijuana users do not take in nearly the amount of smoke a cigarette smoker would overall. According to an article called “High anxiety” in “Reason” magazine by Jacob Sullum, “The most serious health risk of heavy

ish gradually after a month of not using the drug. According to a “Time” magazine article called “Balding, wrinkled, and stoned” by Jeffrey Kluger and Ressner, “a 2003 study in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society found that even among regular users, there is no proof that pot causes irreversible cognitive damage.”

Marijuana causes birth defects TRUE. Fortgang’s “Rolling Stone” article says that if the mother uses marijuana during preg-

nancy, there are very high chances of reduction in birth weight and birth defects.

Marijuana can cause sterility TRUE. Smoking marijuana lowers a users testosterone levels, and temporarily causes a decrease in sperm count. In “Dope and Low Fertility,” and article in “New Scientist” magazine, Sandra

Bennett, President of Drug Watch International, reports that “more recent studies show that cannabis use contributes to premature death of these reproductive cells.”

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Marijuana can cause schizophrenia TRUE. Marijuana use has been shown to alter the way the brain works. Because our brains develop most while we are young, smoking marijuana at an early age can adversely affect this process. Research shows similarities between the brains of schizophrenics and marijuana users, and has drawn links between smoking and the development of this condition. Marijuana

use will aggravate existing schizophrenia, and individuals with a genetic predisposition towards schizophrenia (such as a family history) are as much as 10 times more at risk for developing the condition if they smoke. According to schizophrenia.com, experts estimate between eight and 13 percent of schizophrenia cases can be linked to cannabis use during teen years.

Marijuana causes depression LARGELY FALSE. Marijuana is a depressant, and it is not uncommon for users to experience depression and anxiety during withdrawal. Popular speculation is that marijuana has a causal relationship with depression, but there is little, if any, data to support this theory (La Voz couldn’t ﬁnd any, and we tried). Current research does shows higher suicide rates (250-300 percent) in individuals who used marijuana heavily as teens. However,

in a study published in the scientiﬁc medical journal “Addictive Behaviors” in June 2005, marijuana users were found to be less depressed and more positive than non-users. There is ample anecdotal evidence that marijuana use actually helps alleviate depression and anxiety. Individuals whose depression was not relieved by prescription anti-depressants reported that marijuana was effective in relieving symptoms.

marijuana smoking is probably bronchitis. Lung cancer is possible in theory, but you’d have to smoke a hell of a lot to approximate the risk faced by the typical tobacco smoker.” Sullum’s reasoning was based on research by Lynn Zimmer, a sociologist at the City University of New York, and John P. Morgan, a physician and professor of pharmacology at CUNY Medical School who spent years researching the effects of marijuana.

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Publication: La Voz

sports & health 11

FEBRUARY 21, 2006 • LAVOZDEANZA.COM

De Anza’s no-smoking policy is enforced in phases mary-joLOMAX The Foothill-De Anza College District no-smoking policy has been in effect for nearly six months. I am part of a small group who is working hard to enforce it. Since the beginning of the quarter, we’ve been taking weekly walks around campus educating noncompliant smokers about the policy. As you might imagine, we’ve heard many

for your health comments about the policy — some good, some bad, and some really off-the-wall. The statements we’ve heard most often are, “I didn’t vote for the policy,” and “It’s not being enforced until September 2006.” I hope the following responses to these comments will help clarify the policy.

First, I’d like to thank the majority of smokers who are complying with the new policy, which states that smoking is allowed in designated parking lots only. Your cooperation is duly noted and very much appreciated. OK, now for the comments. “I didn’t vote for the policy.” You’re right; you didn’t. The Board of Trustees voted to pass the policy. Here’s how the whole thing started: in November 2004, Foothill and De Anza faculty, staff, and students were invited to participate in an online survey developed to assess their opinions about smoking. An impressive total of 6,839 individuals responded, with 2,615 responses from Foothill, 4,175 from De Anza, and 49 from Central Services. Overall, the majority (6,309) of the responses were from the students. Both campuses had very similar responses. Twelve percent of the respondents said they were smokers. Sixty-three percent of the respondents felt that secondhand smoke was a problem, and 56 percent didn’t think the board policy was being followed. The majority of respondents were interested in a more restrictive smoking policy than 25 feet from building doors and win-

dows (which was the policy at the time). Based on the results of the survey, the committee felt that the time was right to join nearby community colleges including Ohlone, Cabrillo and Mission colleges, and move towards a smoke-free campus. Over the next several months, the committee met with each of the various governing bodies on each campus to share the survey results. Then asked for their support in going to the Board of Trustees. We presented our proposal to the Board of Trustees on June 6 and the Board approved the policy on June 20. The policy went into effect September 1, 2005. “The policy is not being enforced until September 2006.” There seems to be two confusing issues around this comment. The ﬁrst is with the word “enforce”, and the second is that the policy has two phases. The word enforce does not mean punish, as many seem to believe. To enforce simply means “to implement” or ‘to put into place’. This means that the no-smoking signs, the verbal reminders, the messages on the De Anza web page and in the Schedule of Classes are all examples of enforcement. Other examples of enforcement are warnings, cita-

tion, and fines. Do we have those now? No. Will we have them in the future? It depends. We made a conscious decision to use the first year (05-06) to ease-in the new policy. Like any big change, people need to have some time to adjust. Phase one is what we are calling enforcement through education. Notice that it is still enforcement. Phase two, which will begin in September 2006, may involve stronger measures of enforcement if the “softer” enforcement measures don’t work. At this point the administration hasn’t identified what those increased enforcement measures will be. This week, you will be receiving an email asking for your participation in a second online survey. This survey will assess your opinion on the new no-smoking policy. I will share the results of that survey in a future article. In the meantime, if you are a smoker, please be aware that smoking is only allowed in designated parking lots, and the policy is being enforced. Mary-Jo Lomax is a health educator at De Anza College. For more information, visit the Health Center in the Hinson Campus Center.

De Anza celebrates National Condom Week Kharman Aidun LA VOZ

Jordan Eldrige volunteers in a condom hat.

There is nothing more romantic than receiving a bouquet of condoms on Valentine’s Day. National Condom Week was started in 1978 by University of California Berkeley students and became popular throughout the United States in the 1980s. Last week Health Services and Outlet, the new club for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer, Straight and Questioning population at De Anza celebrated National Condom Week by showing students how to use condoms to make roses. “I felt that people would not want to participate if we made the roses out of construction paper,” said Health Educator Mary-Jo Lomax. The health services has sponsored National Condom Week for the last 17 years. Lomax was inspired by another health institution to make the condom roses. Last year, Lomax distributed well over 2,000 condoms. “I have been here everyday,” said Inter Club Council Chair of Programs, Jordan Eldrige. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Kharman Aidun(5)/ LA VOZ De Anza students attempt to make condom roses.

Lomax demonstrates how to make condom roses.

5 FUN FACTS ABOUT CONDOMS: Condoms were used by Egyptians as early as 1350 BC Oil-based lubricants can weaken condoms The ﬁrst ad for condoms was published in the New York Times in 1861 In 1758 there were rumors that Casanova used condoms An estimated 6 to 9 billion condoms are used each year www.nzgirl.co.nz/articles/2810

12 sports & health

FEBRUARY 21, 2006 • LAVOZDEANZA.COM

De Anza Men’s Basketball ﬁnishes season with loss to San Jose City College Feb 15 San Jose City 90, De Anza 77 San Jose City (25-6, 8-3) – Smith 2 0-0 6, Hill 6 7-8 19, Woods 2 0-0 5, Johnson 3 2-6 8, Williams 3 5-8 11, Maxwell 1 0-0 2, Cotton 0 1-2 1, Dyson 5 4-4 14, Craig 9 6-7 24. Totals 31 25-35 90. De Anza (14-15, 6-6) – Bushnell 1 0-0 3, Valderrama 1 0-0 3, Castillo 2 0-0 4, Buckner 6 4-6 17, Darrell 7 6-8 20, Adams 1 2-2 4, Barnes 6 0-2 12, Myles 6 2-2 14. Totals 30 14-20 77. Halftime – De Anza 44, San Jose City 37. Three-point goals – Woods, Smith 2; Bushnell, ValderBryan Adams dodges San Jose City’s defense during the last game of the season.

The Dons had their eyes on the playoffs but lost two out of their last three games.

Men’s Tennis Coast Conference Diablo Valley 9, De Anza 0 At De Anza Singles -- Velarde d. Th.Nguyen 6-3, 6-1; Kubicka d. Truong 6-1, 6-1; Korich d. Ti.Ngyuen 6-3, 6-0; Fung d. Hassoun 6-2, 7-6; Kobayashi d. Chu 6-4, 6-3; Narasaki d. Baustista 6-3, 6-2. Doubles -- Velarde-Korich d. Th.Nguyen-Ti.Nguyen 6-4, 7-6 (7-5); Kubicka-Fung d. Truong-Hassoun 6-0, 7-6; Kobayashi-Narasaki d. Chu-Baustista 6-1, 6-2. Record -- De Anza 0-2.

The De Anza Dons’ number 1 Tennis player Thang Nguyen lost 6-3 6-1 against Mount Diablo College’s Carlo Velarde.

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